Fire crews battle Sentinel blaze
Various fire departments battled a fire on The Sentinel mountainside above Hangberg on Tuesday, says the City.
Last month, a similar fire scorched 15 hectares of mountain fynbos along a Hangberg mountainside (“Cause of Hangberg fire under investigation,” Sentinel, January 22).
At 10am, the City Fire and Rescue Service received a call about trees and vegetation alight, said spokesperson Jermaine Carelse.
“Fire rescue crews from Hout Bay, Sea Point and Lakeside were dispatched, as well as the Wildland Strike units.
“A request for aerial support was received and the first helicopter arrived at 11am,“ he said.
Later, the fire started to spread behind a shanty town in Hangberg, according to Hangberg resident Ricardo Phillips.
But, the fire was subsequently largely contained except for the cliff areas that could not be reached on foot, said SANParks spokesperson JP Louw.
“Crews will continue with mopping-up operations throughout the day. We also have aerial support consisting of two helicopters, the Blackhawk, as well as an aerial tactical team,” Mr Louw said.
The cause of the fire is unknown at this stage.
Atlantic Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson Paul Kruger told Sentinel the fire was 100m above the last houses near “Die Sloot”, a walkway in Salamander Road, Hangberg.
Crews from the Nature Conservation Corporation as well as Table Mountain National Park had assisted at the scene, Mr Carelse said.
Mr Louw said: “The reality is we are in summer, and the peninsula is experiencing hot windy conditions, so fires are an inevitable reality. Fires in Hangberg are not out of the ordinary compared to other areas on the Peninsula.“
